Catching a Snake the Wrong Way

One afternoon at Jetavana monastery, pale golden sunlight slanted through the sala trees, casting a soft, hazy dust of light across the ground. The air was so still that one could hear the wind rustling through the leaves, yet within the Sangha, hearts were stirred by a rumor spreading like wildfire: the monk Arita was openly proclaiming a view that stood in complete opposition to the World-Honored One's teachings.

Arita had entered monastic life after working as a falconer, training hawks for the hunt in ancient India. That profession, though it sustained his body, had sown seeds of cruelty and selfishness in his mind. Even after stepping through the gates of the Buddha and donning the yellow robe, his old karma seemed to linger like a shadow, obscuring his blessings from merit. He did not easily receive the truth; instead, he often misunderstood it, clinging to his own subjective feelings.

At one assembly, while the other monks were discussing letting go of sensual pleasures in order to move toward liberation, Arita rose to his feet, his voice full of confidence and stubbornness:

"I understand clearly what the World-Honored One taught. He said that pleasures and sensual delights obstruct practice. But in my view, if we know how to enjoy them properly, they pose no obstacle at all."

His words fell like a bucket of cold water on the enthusiasm of his fellow practitioners. An elderly monk, his face stern but his eyes full of concern, stepped close to Arita and lowered his voice to advise him:

"Venerable Arita, do not distort the words of the World-Honored One. He used many teachings to show that indulging in sensual pleasures is the very root of suffering (dukkha). Do not let your arrogance ruin your path to liberation."

But Arita only sneered, waving his hand dismissively, firmly holding on to what he called his "position." This stubbornness was not the steadfastness of one defending the truth, but a manifestation of ignorance and pride. The other monks, after failing repeatedly to persuade him, had no choice but to report the matter to the Buddha.

When summoned, Arita knelt before the World-Honored One. The Buddha looked at him, his gaze free of anger yet deep and severe. He asked to confirm:

"Arita, is it true that you have been proclaiming such a view?"

Arita bowed his head and admitted it. Only then did the Buddha speak his rebuke, his words sharp and firm, yet echoing through the stillness of the garden:

"You foolish one! How could you understand the Dharma I have taught in such a way? I have used many examples to warn of the danger of sensual pleasures. Not only do you distort my words, but you also destroy your own merit. This will lead you into misfortune and long-lasting suffering."

Then, to help his disciples understand more deeply the consequences of grasping the teachings in a wrong way, the Buddha offered a classic metaphor, which is also the title of this sutta:

"Suppose a man goes out searching for a snake. He sees a large snake, but instead of seizing it properly, pinning it firmly by the neck or the body so that it cannot turn and bite him, he grabs it by the tail or the back. The snake immediately turns its head and bites his hand, his arm, or whatever part of him it touches. And because of that mistaken way of grasping, the man may die or suffer agony close to death."

The Buddha paused, sweeping his gaze across the assembly of monks, and concluded:

"In the same way, monks, there are those who study the Dharma but do not examine its meaning with wisdom. They learn only to argue, to criticize others, not to cut off their afflictions (kleshas). Because they grasp the Dharma wrongly, they will fall into suffering."

The story closes with a silence full of meaning. Arita hung his head low. The Buddha's rebuke rang out like a warning bell, but whether he possessed enough blessings from merit and wisdom to let go of that self-grasping remained a great question mark amid the flowing current of life.

The Meaning of the Story

This story emphasizes the importance of studying and practicing the teachings in the right way (right view). Grasping the Buddha's words without contemplation through wisdom, or learning only to debate and show off, leads to harmful misunderstandings (wrong view), just as catching a snake the wrong way results in being bitten. The story also points out the close connection between personal morality (merit and wrongdoing) and the capacity to receive the truth. Those with evil karma or an arrogant mind often find it difficult to understand what is right and easily go astray in their practice.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang